Former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe has named the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s best presidential aspirant ahead of the 2019 general election.
Okupe, who is the Director of the Media Committee of the Saraki Presidential Campaign Organisation, identified his principal, Dr Bukola Saraki, as the candidate with the best chance of defeating President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s National Convention of the PDP in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Okupe said, “We have arrived the garden city where the presidential candidate of PDP will be elected. It is a great event that will determine and shape the future of Nigeria. Dr. Bukola Saraki is a man that has been aptly described as a man for this season, he is a man that has inborn proclivity for leadership.
“He has an exemplary pedigree that is important for this type of post. His late father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki was a medical practitioner and Bukola Saraki is a medical doctor. His father was a leader of the Senate and he is the Senate President. His father was Waziri of Ilorin and he is the Waziri of Ilorin.
“Only a very few successful politician can point to such a magnificent record. Besides, he has been a two term governor of Kwara State. He was a Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum. As a senator, he is currently the Senate President and the Chairman of the National Assembly. Prior to that, he was a Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Budget Affairs.
“This man has been accepted widely across the country as the defender of our democracy. The man that has stood to withstand fire and fury from the incumbent government, he has stood even in the face of arms and yet he was unbowed.”
On Saraki’s acceptability in the North, Okupe said, “Even some of the Northern elders are fully in support of Bukola Saraki because many of them feel that his late father lived and died for the north. When there were signs of disunity in the north, the late Oloye traversed the length and breath of the north to bring everyone together. Many people in the north, particularly elders now feel that it is about time to pay back the late Olusola Saraki with a good measure by supporting his son.”
On Saraki’s chances at the Convention, Okupe said, “We are here to compete fairly and contest with all seriousness. We recognize the obvious potentials of fellow aspirants. Virtually every of PDP aspirant is incomparable with leadership of the incumbent political party. Bukola Saraki has a wide range of support within the rank and file of the PDP. A clear majority of serving state governors in the PDP are backing Bukola Saraki. And this is a very determinant factor on who emerges the party’s flag bearer on Sunday.
“The message of Saraki, which is inclusiveness, equity and the programme to grow Nigeria is unrivalled and this is what he has consistently preached all over the nation. This has no doubt found great acceptability amongst the delegates and the people of Nigeria”.